Vaughn
I'm pretty calm for someone who just got cheated on with someone I hate with every molecule of life in me. She knows and everyone knows how much I f*****g hate him, how he always steals the spotlight with ease while I work so hard for the reward.
“Babyyyy!” Ariel throws herself at me, her makeup is perfectly done and her smile is bright and innocent, like she hadn't done anything wrong.
I don't hug her, just pat her shoulder mechanically, my touch not lingering for a second.
It should be frightening that I'm this calm. A lot of guys would have freaked out by now and have tons of arguments but to me, she's nothing but a diseased arm that needs to be amputated.
“I missed you.” She attempts to kiss my lips but I turn my head away letting her lips graze my cheeks. “I'm sorry I missed the gala. How does the dress look on me?”
The red spaghetti strap dress with a shimmer, just like I like it on her body. This is my cue to praise her looks and tell her how beautiful it was but I feel nothing genuine at this moment. I could still see the mark made from Ezra's fingernails, covered by sloppy makeup and I reached out, my nails digging into the exact same spot.
“Ow!” She hisses, her hand slapping mine away. “Are you okay, Vaughn?”
“Not really, no.”
Her brows furrowed. “What's wrong? Let's talk about it.” My jaw clenched. She was so perfect.
“You know exactly what.” I growled, making her flinch. “Was he the first man?”
“What are you talking about?” She raised her tone. “Because I didn't go to your stupid gala, is that it?”
I shoved the phone, muting the sounds and she all but choked on her breath. Her eyes watered on seeing my cold expression. I genuinely have no time for this. I turned to leave but she caught up with me, holding my arm tight.
“It's not what you think, baby please.” She sobbed hard.
“Is he the first?” I gritted my teeth, refusing to spare her a glance.
She stopped sobbing, her head bowed, her forehead to my back and it was all the confirmation I needed. Maybe I didn't care or maybe I trusted her too much to read the signs.
“I just… I just needed more,” she whispers, looking around, searching to see if anyone is listening to her fall from grace. Ariel has only ever cared about her reputation, which I’ve always thought was a shallow fixation, but I’ve never really faulted her for it.
Now, I realize I don’t even know this girl.
“Was I that unsatisfying?” I ask, my voice stripped of emotion.
“No, it’s…you’re not rough enough and too nice, and I don’t like that all the time. But really, I love you…”
“Spare me the love confessions. You didn’t look like you loved me when you were being f****d by another man.”
She glares at me. “So if a man cheats because he’s not satisfied, it’s fine, but if a girl does it, it’s an issue?”
“It’s an issue both ways. And when did I cheat, Ariel? I was fully devoted to you.”
“You were fully devoted to the life you wanted in which I just happened to fit!” she whisper-yells. “You don’t even love me. You love the idea of me.”
“Don’t belittle my feelings just because you couldn’t reciprocate them. I gave you everything.” I spat out.
She laughs, the sound long and bitter. “Everything, yeah. Just not your emotions, not your jealousy, and definitely not your heart. Do you even have one?”
“Ariel…” I have never been tempted to choke a lady like this one.
“You’ll break up with me now, and you’ll do it publicly so you can humiliate me for daring to humiliate you. You just can’t stand the idea of another man touching your thing, I get it, but you know what, I don’t regret any of it, least of all last night. At least I spent the night being worshiped by a man who knows exactly what he wants and goes for it, which can’t be said about you.”
I narrow my eyes.
She laughs, but tears well in her eyes. “You thought I couldn’t figure out your plan? Fine, I knew the day would come that you’d find out about the s*x and ditch me, or I’d marry you and live with a lifeless statue who knows all the right things to do and say, knows exactly when to smile, laugh, and say the right words, but lacks any f*****g soul. I never really had you anyway. Guess I lucked out that it’s ending now instead of years down the road after we spawn kids.”
“Are you done?”
“Yeah.” She lets out an exhale. “I know I never had you fully. I never even had a fragment of you. All I had was an illusion.”
“You, Ariel, have cheated on me multiple times when I’ve only ever been loyal to you. You mistook the pedestal I put you on as a throne and are not fit for me. From today on, you’re nothing to me, my family, and my social circle. I do not want to see your face ever again.”
“What social circle? You are going to be a nobody! A f*****g nobody!”
“You have no idea what I want.”
“But I have an idea of how your future will be.” She points at the screen. “Take a hard look.”
My eyes caught the news report on my 16 inch television, my mother is cuffed and struggling with security while screaming obscene words. Forget Ariiel who was also in shock standing by me, I grabbed my coat and keys and bolted. Everything that could possibly go wrong is happening right now.
She was caught using heroin again. She promised she'd quit. Her sponsorship, her deals, everything she worked so hard for…fuckkkkkk.
What's gonna happen to me?